Classic Russet: A Potato Cultivar with Excellent Fresh Market Characteristics and High Yields of U.S. No. 1 Tubers Suitable for Early Harvest or Full-Season Production.

Authors: STARK, J. - University Of Idaho; Novy, Richard - Rich; Whitworth, Jonathan; KNOWLES, N. - Washington State University; PAVEK, M. - Washington State University; LOVE, S. - University Of Idaho; VALES, M. - Oregon State University; JAMES, S. - Oregon State University; HANE, D. - Oregon State University; Brown, Charles; CHARLTON, B. - Oregon State University; CORSINI, D. - Retired ARS Employee; PAVEK, J. - Retired ARS Employee; OLSEN, N. - University Of Idaho; BRANDT, T. - University Of Idaho

Submitted to: American Journal of Potato Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/12/2010
Publication Date: 7/15/2010
Citation: Stark, J.C., R.G. Novy, J. L.Whitworth, N.R. Knowles, M.J. Pavek, S.L. Love ,M.I. Vales, S.R. James, D.C. Hane, C.R. Brown, B.A. Charlton, D.L. Corsini, J.J. Pavek, N. Olsen and T. Brandt. 2010. Classic Russet: A Potato Cultivar with Excellent Fresh Market Characteristics and High Yields of U.S. No. 1 Tubers Suitable for Early Harvest or Full-Season Production. Amer. J. Potato Res. 87:360-373.

Interpretive Summary: Classic Russet is a potato variety with attractive tubers having russet skin. It has high marketable yield with a low incidence of tuber defects and is suitable for early harvest or full season production. It also is notable for its high tuber protein content (32% greater than Russet Burbank—an industry standard cultivar). It is suitable for fresh market as well as early season processing into French fries and other frozen potato products.

Technical Abstract: Classic Russet is a medium maturing potato cultivar with rapid tuber bulking making it suitable for early harvest, as well as full-season production. Classic Russet is notable for its attractive tubers with medium russet skin and excellent culinary characteristics. It resulted from a 1995 cross between Blazer Russet and Summit Russet and was released in 2009 by the USDA-ARS and the Agricultural Experiment Stations of Idaho, Oregon and Washington and is a product of the Northwest Potato Variety (Tri-State) Development Program. Classic Russet also shows potential as an early season processing cultivar, with fry color comparable to Russet Burbank and Ranger Russet. Classic Russet total yields were comparable to Russet Norkotah and Ranger Russet in early harvest trials and comparable to Ranger Russet and Russet Burbank in full season trials. When averaged across sites in early harvest or full season trials, U.S. No. 1 yields of Classic Russet were generally greater than those of Russet Norkotah, Ranger Russet, and Russet Burbank. Protein content for Classic Russet is relatively high, averaging 22% higher than Ranger Russet, 32% higher than Russet Burbank and 24% higher than Russet Norkotah. Specific gravity of Classic Russet in early harvest trials was comparable to Russet Norkotah but lower than Ranger Russet and was similar to Russet Burbank in full season trials. The incidence of hollow heart in Classic Russet is low, similar to that of Ranger Russet. It is less susceptible to blackspot bruise than Russet Burbank, Ranger Russet and Russet Norkotah but shatter bruise can be a concern if not matured properly prior to harvest. Classic Russet is moderately resistant to common scab and dry rot and is moderately susceptible to foliar and tuber infections of early blight and symptoms of corky ringspot. It is susceptible to Verticillium wilt, soft rot, foliar and tuber late blight, PLRV and PLRV net necrosis, and the common strain of potato virus Y (PVYo).